The Lesson
by HyperGinger
Summary: When Flint and Volkner are 14 years old, Volkner asks Flint what it's like to kiss someone. Flint has to show him, of course, because that's what friends are for…right? Ignitionshipping.


A/N: For those who don't know, Final Fantasy X was a 2001 RPG that prominently featured a guy named Tidus and a girl named Yuna. The two starred in what is often considered to be the most romantic kissing scene in video game history. It had some of the best graphics of any video game at the time. It's on youtube if you want to look it up. I'd highly recommend it. I've also never played it myself, so please excuse any inaccuracies.

* * *

"But I don't wanna go to bed."

"Buck, you can't even keep your eyes open, and it's past nine. You know your bedtime is supposed to be eight. Do you want grandpa to get mad again?" The eight-year-old boy failed to see his older brother's reasoning and kept whining until Volkner chimed in.

"You know, Buck, it's Friday night. The sooner you go to bed, the sooner you can wake up and watch cartoons tomorrow morning."

At this, Buck's sleepy eyes lit up. "Yeah, you're right! I never thought of that!" He dashed upstairs excitedly with his small Eevee in his arms. Flint, who always made sure to tuck his younger brother in for bed, was hard pressed to keep up.

By the time he made his way back down the stairs, Flint's Flareon and Volkner's Jolteon were curled up asleep together in Flareon's bed, and Volkner was already deciding which video game they would play next. Flint flopped down on the soft, worn couch at Volkner's right side with a tired sigh, his gangly limps splaying in random directions. Volkner couldn't help but laugh a bit.

"How come he always listens to you?" Flint whined, pouting.

"You just have to learn to speak his language, Flint. Kids love cartoons."

"Yeah, yeah." Flint waved off the advice dismissively. "Thanks for helping me babysit, though. Buck really does do better with you around, especially with his math homework."

Volkner smirked. "And YOU do better with YOUR math homework, too."

"Don't rub it in, I was complimenting you." Flint's words were defensive, but his tone and face remained cheerful at the repartee. "I'm just glad you came over."

"I mean, how could I stay away? You guys have the best video games," Volkner said as he turned off Mario Party 3 and moved to Flint's PlayStation 2 instead. "Mind if we switch to this one?" he asked, holding up Flint's copy of Final Fantasy X.

"Good idea. I think we've had enough rage for one night," he admitted. Both boys laughed. The Mario Party games were always more frustrating than one would expect. With that, Volkner started up the game, and their routine began.

Technically, the Final Fantasy games were all single-player, but Flint and Volkner had a system. Flint was better with exploring, minigames, and coordination for button-pressing, while Volkner was better at progressing the main story and strategizing. They worked best together, where Flint would typically play with Volkner as his chief advisor. Volkner didn't have the game at home, and Flint always got stuck or side-tracked when he tried to play alone. Buck was no help either, so this game was only ever brought out when Volkner came to visit. It was just another thing to look forward to when they spent time together.

Thanks to Volkner's shrewd guidance, Flint won a major boss battle, and after a bit more story progression, the screen went dark, signaling a cutscene. Flint let out an excited noise and sat up on the couch; this game's cinematics were amazing, and they'd never gotten this far, so he couldn't wait. Volkner snorted at Flint's reaction and slumped next to him.

The scene started out slow, with tender, emotional dialogue between the two characters. After a few minutes, however, two things changed: first, the graphics intensified, which made Flint gasp like a child, earning an amused noise from Volkner. Second, the two characters embraced...and started kissing. Flint went quiet at that.

It would have been one thing if it were a brief event, but it wasn't. Flint had never been the sappy type, but even he had to admit the scene was romantic. It was the scenery, he supposed, what with the soft, ambient lighting that glowed in blues and greens, or maybe it was how the characters interacted, their affection transferred not just through lips alone, but through hands and tender gazes as well.

After a while, Flint started to feel uncomfortable, sitting stock-still and doing his best to pretend he was alone in the room. He was soon hyper-aware of Volkner next to him, which he chalked up to being the same awkward feeling he got when he saw a love scene with his family members.

Yes, that had to be it.

At last, the scene ended with the two characters making pledges of devotion, and the screen faded back to the gameplay. The music had departed, being replaced with the natural sounds characteristic of the area.

"Flint?"

At the sound of Volkner's voice, Flint jumped and realized he'd been sitting dumbly with the controller in his hands.

"Oh, right! Ha! I kind of have to move now, don't I? Let me—"

"No, that's not it. I just...wanted to ask you something."

Upon hearing Volkner's uncertainty, Flint paused the game and put his controller down. Volkner hardly ever hesitated in his speech.

"Promise you won't laugh or tell anyone about this, okay?"

Sensing this wasn't the time to poke fun at Volkner, Flint just nodded. "Yeah. What is it?"

"Um..." Volkner scratched the back of his neck, and then he finally met and held Flint's gaze. "What's it like to kiss someone?"

Flint's eyes widened. Of all questions, he hadn't been expecting that one. "Ah...what...what do you mean, what is it like?"

"What does it feel like, I mean."

Flint gave a wry smile. "Is that all? You had me worried!" He scratched his chin and looked at the ceiling. "Honestly? It's...not even that great. People make it out to be a huge deal and everything, but it's just kind of...wet. And mushy," he added, his face twisting a bit.

Volkner chuckled softly. "Oh, okay. So I'm not missing much."

"Yeah, not really," Flint encouraged with a shrug. "Why, were you worried? We're only fourteen. It's not the end of the world if you haven't yet."

His friend let out a sigh of relief. "Good. I always feel like I'm the only one. Ever since you said you and Flannery got to that point, I've felt kind of behind."

"Nah, you're fine," Flint reassured him, feeling relieved when Volkner's features relaxed.

Shortly thereafter, however, Volkner's brow furrowed. "You know, I've always wondered that, too." At Flint's quizzical look, he explained. "Why you two broke up, I mean. I never really asked 'cause I didn't want to pry, but..."

It was Flint's turn to frown. "That? Jeez..." He exhaled tiredly. "She said I was 'too cold.'"

Flint was surprised when a sharp cackle came from Volkner. "What? You, of all people, _too cold?!_ " His laughter took a good ten seconds to subside, so Flint had to wait before clarifying.

"Well, 'cold' as in, like..." He made a few vague hand gestures. Volkner's perplexed—but still amused—expression made him realize his body language wasn't working. "Well, it was about the kissing thing, to be honest. I don't know what it was, but..." Flint shuffled his feet and looked away. "I just never really wanted to kiss her...or anything," he admitted. "Don't get me wrong, Flannery's nice and all, but I just couldn't get into it. She tried to get me to do more, but like I said: wet and mushy."

Flint's face split into a satisfied grin when Volkner laughed again. "I can see why you broke up, then. Can't very well date someone if you don't want to kiss them." His laughter stopped. "But...wait. If you don't like kissing at all, what are you going to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"With, like...dating. How's that gonna work?" Flint's heart sank at Volkner's concerned look.

"I mean...I don't know. Maybe it was just Flannery or something." Flint stared down at his hands. This was a problem he'd been considering himself for a while now. He figured he could learn to just put up with it and humor whatever girl he chose to marry, but he wasn't sure he really wanted to do that.

Volkner seemed to sense Flint's melancholy and grinned encouragingly. "It probably was just her, then. People always say it's so great. Kissing can't be _that_ bad, can it?"

Flint looked back up and chuckled. "Easy for you to say. You've never kissed anyone!"

"Yeah, but there's gotta be _something_ to it, right?" Volkner egged on.

"Not at all," Flint shot down, a mirthful smirk on his face. "Kissing is terrible. It's boring, squishy, and gross, and that's all there is to it," he laughed.

Volkner frowned and crossed his arms. "This isn't fair. I can't debate if I'm not coming from a place of knowledge."

"And how do you plan to fix that? There aren't any girls here you can try it out on," Flint pointed out with a chuckle.

"No, but you're here."

Flint tilted his head in confusion. "Uh...yeah? So?"

Volkner shrugged. "So you can kiss me."

Flint had been in the process of formulating his response, but Volkner's comment made him stop, his mouth hanging open comically. "Wait...what?"

Volkner didn't seem to suffer from Flint's apprehensions. "You can kiss me. There isn't anyone else here, and then I can know whether it sucks or not. It'll also give you a chance to see whether it's just Flannery that you don't like kissing. It's a win-win, you know?"

Flint continued gaping like a Magikarp. Every so often, he'd close his mouth and open it again, fully intending to explain all the failings in Volkner's plan in excruciating detail and ask with incredulity how, exactly, kissing your male best friend could be a "win-win." He didn't manage that.

"But we're both guys!" he blurted out instead, his voice cracking.

Volkner shrugged again. "So?"

"Well, we're both boys, so..." Flint trailed off, unable to explain just what about it was supposed to be wrong.

"Yeah, we're boys, but it's just kissing, you know?" Volkner responded. "It's not like we're...'doing it,' or anything." Flint sputtered and choked, so Volkner was able to continue. "Lips are still lips. If you close your eyes, you won't even notice the difference, will you? It'll be the same as with a girl."

"Yeah, but...but...hm..." The words died in Flint's throat again as Volkner's logic cut through everything else.

 _Why does that always happen with Volkner? He's too good with words, I think..._

"Besides, what have you got to lose? No one else is here." Flint gave him a skeptical look. "Well, except me, but then I'd have to confess to kissing you, too."

Flint shrugged and snorted. "I guess. Just so long as you don't mind losing your first to me," he taunted. Flint winced and let out an "Ow!" when Volkner flicked him on the forehead.

"Idiot. It's not like I'm losing my virginity to you," he joked, rolling his eyes. "I honestly just want to get it over with. It's not like I'm saving it or anything. You're just helping me out, you know?" Volkner grinned. "It's just what friends are for!"

Flint considered pointing out that kissing is most definitely NOT what friends are for, but his voice got away from him when Volkner shifted a little closer. What escaped his throat instead was a shaky, "Sure."

"Then..." Flint remained rigid as Volkner slid closer. His face was half-lit from the muted bluish-green glow of the screen, and he had a look in his eyes that Flint wasn't accustomed to; it was both nervous and excited.

Volkner never got nervous. Hardly ever, at least not visibly.

Flint couldn't help but look down at Volkner's lips. It occurred to him that Volkner's mouth was rather nice to look at. His lips weren't bulbous or glossed like a girl's would be, but they didn't have to be because they still looked soft and inviting. He had never really thought about it before, but now he knew he'd never forget.

His perusal of those lips was interrupted when Volkner's tongue subtly wetted them, and Flint gulped, subconsciously licking his own lips. Volkner had been doing most of the advancing while Flint was rooted in place, but he stopped just before they could meet. Their proximity was such that Flint could only see Volkner's half-lidded blue eyes now, eyes full of anticipation and nervousness and curiosity.

The pounding in Flint's ears from the heightened beats of his own heart grew louder, and he realized he was more nervous now than he had been before his first kiss. He did his best to ignore that fact as he tilted his head to hesitantly press his lips to Volkner's, closing his eyes in the process.

Flint felt Volkner let out a small, warm sigh against his lips, and he tried not to shake as he moved his lips against his friend's. For the life of him, he didn't know what to do with his hands, so they just remained by his sides on the couch cushions, fidgeting stiffly.

Volkner didn't seem to feel the same hesitation, as his right hand slid upward to cup the back of Flint's neck. When it got there, though, Flint could feel Volkner's hand shaking against his skin, betraying that he wasn't as calm as his facade suggested.

Flint was oddly encouraged by this fact, and he slipped his right arm around Volkner's slender torso to pull him closer. In response, Volkner pressed his lips farther into Flint's. Their noses bumped at first, but Volkner seemed to get the hang of things, tilting his head slightly to compensate.

Everything about Volkner was warm, from his hands to his slim frame to the lips that slid against Flint's. It wasn't an oppressive heat, either, just a welcoming warmth. Seeking more contact, Flint lifted his other hand to touch Volkner's cheek. A barely discernible hum came from Volkner's throat, and he let out a relaxed sigh against Flint's lips as the hand slid into his hair.

As he ran his fingers through Volkner's hair, Flint couldn't help but notice how soft and smooth it was, and that struck him as odd. He wasn't sure why that would be odd; he'd just always figured girls were the ones with silky hair, not boys. He knew his own was coarse, but maybe it wasn't a gender thing after all.

He switched his focus back to where he and Volkner had slipped into a rhythm, and he shifted to catch Volkner's lower lip between his own lips. When he sucked lightly on it, Flint felt Volkner's free hand fist in his shirt and tug at it with subtle need. In response, Flint sucked harder and pulled Volkner's body closer to his, and Volkner let out a quiet moan against his lips. The sound made tingles sizzle throughout his body, leaving him feeling hotter than before.

This was nothing like the kisses he'd shared with Flannery. Sure, she was supportive and enthusiastic, but Flint never felt anything. This was different. It felt good. _Volkner_ felt good. Sparks flew where their lips met, setting his nerves alight with pleasure.

Volkner's fingers slipped from Flint's neck into his hair, and both his hands tightened against Flint, urging him on as Volkner let out another soft, enticing noise. Flint gasped quietly. He wanted to hear more, _feel_ more of Volkner. To that end, he shyly poked at Volkner's lips with his tongue, shivering with arousal when Volkner willingly parted his lips to allow him entry. He hesitantly touched and rubbed Volkner's tongue with his, but Flint didn't push farther than that, content with the simple contact and the sensation of his breath mingling with Volkner's. The shuddering breath that left Volkner's mouth encouraged Flint to reconnect their lips, and the two kissed with more passion this time. Since neither was experienced in breathing through their noses for kissing, both were soon out of breath.

Still, this didn't slow them down. Pants and moans came from both sides and mingled with the wet smacking of lips in the dark room. Flint only dimly registered that the hand he'd wrapped around Volkner was slowly sliding up underneath his shirt to stroke the soft, warm skin of his back. Flint fell into such an aggressive, ardent pattern that his partner had trouble keeping up, and before he knew it, Volkner's warm, slender body was lying underneath his on the old couch, back arching for more contact. At this, Flint pulled away in surprise, wiping a bit of saliva from his mouth as he propped himself up on his hands, staring in shock down at the equally confused boy underneath him. Heat pooled in his gut at what he saw.

Flint's heart was racing just as fast as it had before they'd begun, but it was for different reasons now. He licked his lips as he examined Volkner's form, which was quivering with excitement. His hair and clothes were disheveled from Flint's efforts, revealing his pronounced collarbone and the fair skin of his midriff. Deep pants came from his lips, which were red and swollen from their activities. Volkner's chest rose and fell rapidly as he recovered from the oxygen deprivation, and his cheeks had adopted an attractive, rosy hue—whether from exertion or embarrassment, Flint didn't know.

What held Flint's attention the most, however, were Volkner's eyes, which were examining him with equal interest. They were a maelstrom of emotions. Beneath the dark, glassy glaze of lust swam confusion, affection, indecision, want, and several others Flint couldn't name. The eyes were intermittently shielded with fluttering eyelids tipped with blond lashes that Flint was somehow noticing for the first time.

 _Has Volkner...always had long eyelashes? I thought only girls were supposed to have pretty eyelashes._

No matter what he saw in Volkner, though, Flint didn't see a girl. Volkner had been wrong when he said they'd forget gender the moment they closed their eyes. No, Flint knew through-and-through the entire time that he was kissing a boy, that he was kissing Volkner...but he liked it.

And he didn't doubt for a second that Volkner liked it, too.

Volkner was the one to break the heavy silence. "I thought..." He paused to gather himself, then continued shakily. "I thought Flannery said you were 'cold.'"

The implication was blunt, and Flint gulped. Instead of answering, he lowered himself back onto Volkner and pressed their lips together again. The boy seemed quite satisfied with this, looping his arms around Flint's neck to pull him closer. Flint let out a sigh of relief that Volkner apparently wasn't going to pursue him about that.

There was no way he could ever tell Volkner that he'd never kissed Flannery like this.

It wasn't long until things escalated once more. The heated presses of Flint's lips came more quickly and were interspersed with light, affectionate nips. With the heat of Volkner's body pressed directly up against his, Volkner's hands crawling up the back of his shirt to clutch desperately at his back and shoulder blades, and their suggestive position, Flint could feel his blood pumping southward. It didn't help that Volkner's pleasured moans were back with a vengeance, even while muffled by Flint's lips. Wanting to hear more, he moved to lick around the shell of Volkner's ear and kiss at his jawline. Meanwhile, one of his hands started to creep up the front of Volkner's shirt, and the other slid down to grip one of his hips. Volkner didn't seem to mind, not with the way he arched into the touch and let out a shuddered gasp of pleasure.

More heat flooded southward for Flint. The urge to rut against his friend was undeniable, but he resisted, not wanting to go too far. Instead, he dove in for another addictive kiss, which was returned with fervor. He wanted more of Volkner. He wanted to—

"Bark!"

"...What?" The noise repeated, and Flint sat up, quickly shifted out of Volkner's lap, and crossed his legs. He hurriedly fixed his shirt and looked down in front of the couch to see the source of the sound.

On the floor in front of them, panting and wagging its bushy tail with a dumb, oblivious, puppy-like gaze, sat Flint's Flareon. It barked again happily.

"You..." Flint groaned and pressed a hand firmly to his forehead. "You're hungry...now?" He was met with a sad whine from the fire Pokémon. Volkner's body shook with breathless laughter next to him, but Flint pretended not to notice. "Okay...okay. Fine. I'll get you some Pokémon food." With that, Flint turned his gaze back to Volkner, who was still fixing his own clothing. "Uh...I..." Several thoughts came to mind, but Flint couldn't articulate any of them.

"Go," Volkner encouraged. "Flareon's hungry, and...I think we could both use a minute anyway," he hinted. Volkner smirked awkwardly, and Flint could tell he wasn't angry with him. He returned the smile with an uneasy laugh of his own, stood up as inconspicuously as he could considering his "predicament," and followed Flareon into the kitchen.

If the way Volkner had snatched his previously-discarded jacket off the back of the couch and was now keeping it in his lap was any indication, Flint was willing to venture a guess that his predicament was shared.

He ignored the throbbing heat between his legs and trailed after his Pokémon, who was now practically prancing in anticipation of food. He sighed and retrieved a box from his cupboard. "You know you're not supposed to eat before bed, Flareon," he chided, though he knew his Pokémon wasn't listening, engaged as it was with hopping around in front of the food bowl as he poured from the box. "Don't come crying to me later if you start sleep-running and Quick Attack into a wall again."

Flareon dove in immediately, chowing down like a Snorlax preparing for hibernation. Flint sighed fondly.

 _I'm gonna have to train Flareon a little better. He can't always go interrupting..._

Flint's train of thought instantly stopped. Interrupting what? Truthfully, he wasn't sure just where they'd been heading...but looking back on it, it was probably a good thing Flareon had cut in when he did. Flint needed some time to think, and he'd wager Volkner did, too.

Two things were for sure: first, Volkner had been right about kissing being worthwhile. Just because it hadn't worked with Flannery didn't mean Flint hated kissing.

And second, Volkner had been wrong: kissing a boy wasn't the same as kissing a girl.

It was better.

WAY better.

* * *

Concept for this came from a conversation with the lovely oceanonce5, so she gets half the credit for the idea!

If you liked this story, try reading "The Test," another story in my profile. It's Volkner's point of view for this scene.


End file.
